Page 25 of Forbidden Harmony

“I am,” she said. “It had nothing to dowith you.”

He resumed tattooing and after a moment shespoke over the sound of the gun.

“That night outside of the Beaver, whenyou, um, when you helped me?”

“I remember.” Like he’d ever fuckingforget it.

“I wasn’t with Harrison then either. If I’dbeen with him, I would never have, um, kissed you like that. I’m not acheater. I’m a good girl.” She made a weird hiccupping laugh. “I didn’t tellyou when you helped me with my car yesterday because I was embarrassed, and Ithought everyone in this stupid town already knew.”

“Why did you break up with him?” It wasn’tany of his fucking business, but he couldn’t help asking.

“Technically, I didn’t. He ended it withme.”

Jesus, the guy was an even bigger idiot thanhe thought.

She sighed and then her shouldersstraightened as if she was steeling herself. “Back in the spring, I discoveredHarrison was having an affair with his legal assistant.”

“You’re fucking kidding me,” he said.

“No.” She seemed emboldened by his outrageand continued. “I went to his house when he wasn’t expecting it, and found himnaked on his hands and knees wearing a dog collar and leash while Crystal beathis butt with a leather crop.”

“Fucking hell,” he said.

“Yeah, I guess he had certain kinks that hedidn’t share with me,” she said.

He shut off the gun and gently wiped thetattoo as she stared at the wall for a few seconds before the words tumbled outof her. “I was so upset. Not that he had certain tastes in bed but that hethought I couldn’t handle them. He – he basically said that the only reason heslept with Crystal was because he knew I was too much of a good girl to eventry those things in bed. He said I was too uptight and stiff in the bedroom.He made it sound like all I did was – was lie there while he rutted away atme. But I,” her entire body stiffened, “I was a good girl because I thoughtthat’s what he wanted. I was proper anddemurein the bedroom becausehe expected me to be that way. He disapproved if I wore lingerie that was too revealingfor God’s sake. Said it wasn’t me and that I shouldn’t try and be sexy becauseI just ended up looking ridiculous and it was a turn off for him.”

She was breathing heavily, and he rubbedher lower back again as her tiny hands clenched into fists.

“You’re sexy,” he murmured.

She didn’t seem to hear him as she slumpedagainst the chair. “Anyway, it’s been kind of a bad day. You were right aboutmy car, the engine is shot, so I have to buy a new one and it’s going to be sucha stupid hassle. I was sitting at home alone and feeling sorry for myself, soI decided to walk downtown to the Walgreens. While I was in there, I overhearda couple of people talking about me and Harrison, just like on Sunday at the yarnshop, and they were saying the exact same thing. That I was a goodie two-shoesand boring and Harrison probably broke up with me because I wouldn’t give himoral sex, but I did do stuff like that in the bedroom. I swear! I would havebeen willing to try whatever he asked. But he never asked.”

She sucked in a gulp of oxygen. “I ran outof the Walgreens and I saw your tattoo shop and I thought to myself – Self, geta tattoo. That’ll prove to stupid Harrison and everyone else that you’re notsuch a good girl. I was trying to be a rebel only I suppose it’s not thatrebellious anymore to get a tattoo, is it?”

Before he could reply, she sighed again.“I’ve been with him since high school. All that time wasted and for what? Tobe tossed aside for a big-breasted blonde woman who whips his ass and calls himHarry.”

He snorted laughter and she glanced over hershoulder at him before giving him a small grin. “He looked ridiculous in thatdog collar.”

He laughed again and she giggled beforetrying to look at the back of her shoulder. “Are you done?”

“Yes. Just let me clean it and then youcan take a look.”

She waited patiently as he cleaned it andthen followed him to the mirror. He handed her the hand mirror and watched asshe held it up.

“Oh my goodness,” she whispered. “It’s sobeautiful.”

“You like it,” he said.

“I love it,” she said.

The tension he didn’t realize he was carrying,vanished, and he grinned at her. “It’s red and a little swollen right now.That’s normal. Give it a few days and it’ll look even better.”

She set the mirror down and he grunted insurprise when she threw her arms around him and hugged him. “Preacher, thankyou. I don’t know what I was expecting but I didn’t expect to love it thismuch.”

He really should have stepped back but insteadhe put his arms around her slender waist and pulled her in tight. “You’rewelcome,” he said as he breathed in the scent of her hair. “It was my pleasure.”

“I can’t wait to show Kira and Grace.They’re going to flip out. Maybe I’ll get you to take a picture and I’ll textthem tonight.” She tried to step back and gave him a confused look when he kepthis arms around her. “Preacher? What’s wrong?”

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